Think About It: Traffic and Teen Brains

Morning drive time traffic was relatively non-existent last
week, due in large part to a couple of holidays and many local schools
celebrating the week long spring break. Which got me to thinking, what if we
finally adjusted the start time of the school day to help alleviate
traffic? Many people don't deal
with carpooling or driving kids to school, and they would still be on the roads
getting to work between 6:30 and 8am.

But if schools started one-hour or even 30-minutes later,
lots of things would happen. Number one, a staggered morning drive would allow
for less traffic, and quicker commutes. Number two, and perhaps just as
important, we would finally recognize the fact that circadian rhythms of
adolescents simply don't allow them to get up and go early in the morning like
adults. Natural sleep-wake cycles are simply different for teens as their
bodies and brains change. Many a teacher has complained about bleary-eyed or
deer-in-the-headlight students in the early hours. Starting school a bit later might allow for more sleep and
also would allow for kids' internal clocks to get going more naturally.

A recent study of 10,000 students showed that starting
school one-hour later resulted in fewer teen car accidents in the AM, too. And
teachers report better interaction and attention when school starts a bit
later. Yes, it might affect some after school activities, but engaged students
and less traffic are two solid scenarios if we look at changing the morning
drive time for some. Think about it…